Da Nang

Luke Donald's only signature design in Asia, and it's the best course in Vietnam by a meaningful margin. Routed through pine forest at the base of the Truong Son mountains — firm fairways, fast greens, and elevation changes you don't expect this close to the coast. The night-golf back nine is a gimmick worth doing once.

Colin Montgomerie's coastal layout, and Dogleg's hidden gem pick for the region. Plays through casuarina pines and sandy waste on what's effectively links land — firm, breezy, and a lot more demanding than the postcard photos suggest. Most groups treat it as a throwaway and leave saying it was the best round of the trip.

The Greg Norman Dunes Course is the headline — a genuine links routing through coastal dunes with firm turf, native grasses, and constant wind off the South China Sea. There's also a Nicklaus Design forest course on property if you want 36 in a day. The Norman is the one you came for.

Worth flagging that this one's not in Da Nang — it's a 90-minute drive from Saigon, on the southern coast. But if you're building a Vietnam golf trip, it's the country's most-decorated course and the reason to either bookend the itinerary with a few nights down south or skip it entirely. Norman design over massive seaside dunes; brutal in wind, spectacular always.

Nick Faldo's design about an hour north of Da Nang, routed through rice paddies, jungle, and along a river with the Truong Son mountains in the background. The setting alone makes it worth the drive, and the par-3s are some of the best in the country. Tack it onto a day trip to the Hai Van Pass.

Robert Trent Jones Jr. links routing on the coast between Da Nang and Hoi An, opened in 2019. Big greens, wide playing corridors, and a finishing stretch that runs right along the beach. Newer and less battle-tested than Montgomerie or BRG, but the conditioning is sharp and it slots in easily as a fourth or fifth round.

IMG-designed track south of Hoi An that's the budget-friendly addition to the rotation. Wide fairways, generous greens, and a forgiving setup that's good for the high-handicapper in the group who's getting beaten up by Montgomerie. Not a destination round, but a solid fourth-day option.

Bill Bensley-designed property on the Son Tra Peninsula, about 25 minutes north of the city. It's the splurge play — private beach, four-tier funicular, the works. Worth it if you're celebrating something; overkill if you're just here to play golf and want to be near courses.

The sweet-spot pick for a golf group. Right on Non Nuoc Beach, walking distance to BRG Danang Golf Resort, and the villas sleep four to six comfortably for groups splitting costs. Points availability tends to be reasonable.

Quieter, design-forward beachfront property between Da Nang and Hoi An. The villas are excellent value and the food on-site is genuinely good, which matters when you're 20 minutes from the nearest dinner option. Good fit if your group skews toward couples rather than a bachelor party.

The OG luxury property on My Khe Beach — it's been there forever and shows its age in spots, but the location is unbeatable and rates are noticeably softer than the newer competition. Honest value pick.

Mid-tier Accor property on My Khe Beach that consistently overdelivers for the price. Big rooms, working gym, decent breakfast spread, and easy access to both the courses and the city. The right call if you're being sensible with the lodging budget so you can play more golf.

For groups of six or more, full-villa rentals along My Khe and Non Nuoc beaches run a fraction of the resort rate and come with a private pool, a kitchen, and usually a housekeeper. Search VRBO or Airbnb in the My An Beach district — plenty of inventory at well under $200/night for four bedrooms.

Big riverfront Vietnamese restaurant that's touristy in volume but legitimate in cooking. Order the bánh xèo, the clay-pot fish, and whatever local greens are on the seasonal sheet. Best first-night meal in the city because the menu walks you through everything central Vietnam does well.

Da Nang's actual fine-dining play — tasting-menu-only, modern central-Vietnamese cooking, and a Michelin-recognized chef who trained abroad and came home. Book a week ahead and skip it if half the group is going to whine about portion sizes. The other half will be talking about it for a year.

Yes, it's the Anthony Bourdain one. Yes, it lives up to the hype. If you're spending a day in Hoi An, this is your lunch — the special with everything, eaten on the curb out front, costs about $2. Don't overthink it.

Da Nang's signature dish is bún chả cá — fish-cake noodle soup — and this no-frills spot does the canonical version. Open early, packed at lunch, and the right post-round move when you want something fast, hot, and unmistakably local. Cash only.

Sometimes the group needs a burger. This Japanese-run spot near My Khe Beach grinds its own beef daily and the Mỹ Khê Burger is genuinely one of the better burgers in Southeast Asia. The fix on day four when someone can't face another bowl of pho.

Ms. Vy's flagship in Hoi An — the dish to order is cao lầu, the local pork-and-noodle specialty that's only made properly in this town because of the water from a specific well. Touristy but consistent, and worth the table.

French fine dining at the InterContinental, set in a Bensley-designed colonial mansion above the bay. Expensive by Vietnam standards, modest by international ones. Save it for the celebration dinner — sunset on the terrace, then move inside for the meal.

Long-running expat spot on Bach Dang along the Han River. Western menu done well, cold beer, and a balcony that catches the breeze. The right call for a relaxed dinner where everyone can read the menu without translating.

Hue-style cooking in a packed local room — bún bò Huế, bánh bèo, bánh nậm, the spicy stuff central Vietnam is actually known for. Two people eat for under $15. The kind of place a driver takes you when you ask where he eats.